Biomedical Sciences-Dental School

Degrees Offered

BMS-PhD, DDS/PhD, BMS-MS, DDS/MS

Program Description

This program provides specialized training for individuals with a background in the oral health professions through the offerings described below.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree (BMS-PhD) offered through this program is designed for dental professionals who wish to develop a career in science. The doctoral program includes directed coursework, seminars, and research experiences. Scholarly activities within the program prepare students to become independent research investigators and competent teachers.

The Doctor of Dental Surgery/PhD dual degree is for students who want to pursue their undergraduate dental education with in-depth research training in specific biological science disciplines. The program is based on a seven-year design.

In Years 1 and 2, DDS/PhD students complete the dental program’s predoctoral requirements with the addition of graduate-level basic science courses, weekly research seminars, biostatistics, and laboratory rotations. In Years 3 through 5, students complete elective coursework tailored to a selected research area, progressing through doctoral degree candidacy and doctoral dissertation. The student’s dental preclinical skills are reassessed in the spring semester of Year 5, followed by appropriate training before returning to the dental training program in Years 6 and 7. Upon completion of the dental clinical requirements, students receive the DDS and PhD degrees simultaneously.

The Master of Science degree (BMS-MS) is designed to complement training undertaken by students in the dental school’s certificate programs, i.e., dental postgraduate trainees. This stand-alone degree is offered exclusively to residents in the dental school’s clinical specialty programs who wish to earn the MS degree as part of their advanced training. The BMS-MS prepares dentists for careers in dental education and research. Trainees receive graduate training in the basic sciences, oral biology, and dentistry. Although lecture courses comprise most of the curriculum, many basic science courses include a laboratory component. A significant portion of the program focuses on the design and completion of a master’s thesis research project — a requirement of the program. Students may select research advisors from several disciplines and topics from many basic science and clinical research areas. Specialty certificate programs that offer the master’s degree in oral biology include:

• Endodontics
• Prosthodontics
• Orthodontics
• Pediatric dentistry
• Periodontics
• Advanced general dentistry

The objective of the DDS/MS dual-degree program is to graduate outstanding individuals with a combination of excellence in clinical skills and training in clinical research to prepare them for an academic career in dentistry. Graduates of this program will understand the scientific principles that form the basis of clinical practice, be able to identify significant problems in oral health, and have the requisite tools to develop testable hypotheses that address these problems. Motivated and talented dental students are admitted into the program early during the first year of dental school with the requirement that they stay for a fifth year to complete the combined program. UMB master’s program courses will be substituted for DDS program courses as appropriate to fulfill didactic requirements of both programs (DDS and master’s) during the program’s third year. Development of a research project and formulation of the mentoring team will occur during the summer before that year (third-year program and the DDS junior year). Additional coursework and the research project or practicum experience will comprise the fourth year to complete the master’s degree requirements. Elective credits from the DDS curriculum during the program’s fifth year (DDS senior year) are available for students completing their research and will be used toward time to prepare and submit research results. Through this five-year program, graduates will be appropriately prepared clinical research scientists.

The PhD, MS, and dual degrees are offered in conjunction with the Graduate School. They are interdepartmental programs.

Program Admission

Applicants to the BMS-PhD program must meet all minimum admission requirements and should have a dental background with courses in biology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics through calculus. Applicants should apply directly to the Graduate School online. Non-U.S. residents also must include the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exams. The Graduate School requires a minimum score of 80 on the TOEFL or a minimum score of Band 7 on the IELTS.

Information about the BMS-MS program is presented during the July orientation for new postgraduate dental students. To be eligible for the BMS-MS, applicants must have a professional degree in dentistry and acceptance into one of the specialty certificate programs listed previously. In addition, they must meet the Graduate School’s minimum requirements for admission. Interested students must complete the Graduate School’s application before Aug. 15. The program coordinator at the School of Dentistry will obtain copies of the necessary documents (e.g., transcripts, TOEFL scores) from the applications to the certificate program and submit them to the Graduate School. The graduate application fee is waived for dental residents. Non-U.S. residents also must include their results of the TOEFL or IELTS exams. The Graduate School requires a minimum score of 80 on the TOEFL or a minimum score of Band 7 on the IELTS.

Applicants to the dual-degree programs (DDS/PhD; DDS/ MS) must apply and first be accepted to the DDS program. Outstanding students will be considered for admission to the combined degree program after they have been accepted to the dental program.

Degree Requirements

Students seeking a doctoral degree are required to complete a minimum of 30 credits, which includes 4 credits of core coursework before admission to candidacy. PhD candidates must complete an additional 12 credits of doctoral dissertation research. Doctoral students also must show sufficient evidence of high attainment in scholarship and the ability to engage in independent research.

Students pursuing a master’s thesis degree must successfully complete a minimum of 30 credits, which includes 4 credits of core courses and 6 credits of master’s thesis research.

Required courses

Available Electives

See DBMS and other GPLS courses in the Course Descriptions part of this catalog.